Self-pumping pneumatic vehicle-wheel.



No. 648,408. Patented May I, i900. w. HAYES.

SELF PUMPING'PNEUMATIC VEHICLE WHEEL.

(Application filed In. 14, 1900.)

(No Model.)

STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

WILLIAM HAYES, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SELF-PUMPING PNEUMATIC VEHICLE-WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 648,408, dated May 1,1900.

Application filed March 14, 1900. Serial No. 8,683. (Nomodeh) To allwhom, it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM HAYES, of Boston, in the county of Sufiolkand State of Massachusetts, have made certain new and usefulImprovements in Self-Pumping Pneumatic Vehicle-Wheels, of which thefollowing is a description sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enableany person skilled in the art or science to which said inventionappertaius to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming.

part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of anordinary bicycle-wheel provided with a pneumatic tire and showing myautomatic pumping attachment in position; Fig. 2, a vertical longitu-ldinal section of the same through the axle; Fig. 3, a vertical sectionof the relief-valve; Fig. 4, a sectional view enlarged showing method ofattaching pump-body to cam-ring, and Fig. 5 alike view showing tirevalveguard and pump-piston connected.

Like letters and numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts inthe different figures of the drawings.

My invention relates especially to an automatic pumping deviceattachable to the wheel of a bicycle or other vehicle on which pneumatictires are employed, whereby at each revolution of said wheel air may beforced into said tire.

The object of the invention isparticularly to equip vehicles of thisclass with'a simple, cheap, and effective device whereby a constantdetermined air-pressure may be maintained in the tire and whereby alsothe tire may be maintained inflated even when accidentally punctured, orat least sufficiently so as to prevent absolute deflation, which wouldnecessitate dismounting.

The nature and operation of the improvement will be readily understoodbyall conversant with such matters from the following explanation. V

In the drawings, A represents the wheel considered as a whole, I) therim, the tire, and d the spokes, these parts being all of the ordinaryform and arrangement. The spokes are held in flanged hubs g on the axleh; but instead of said hubs being joined in one piece, as is usual insuch wheels, they are separate, as shown in Fig. 2, to admitmy devicebeing mounted on said axle between the two sets of spokes, which saidhubs respectively bear. On said axle between said hubs I secure asleevej by set-screws 70. The ends of this sleeve are channeled to formball-races, in which balls m travel and act as roller-bearings for theends of the wheel-hubs 9, against which, they are set up in the usualmanner by the check-nuts i. Integral with this sleeve j and in thevertical plane of the wheel an cecentrically-arranged cam 19 is formed.As thus constructed this cam is eccentric of and stationary on the axleh. The rim of this cam is grooved at q, and fitted to work smoothly insaid groove by means of ballbearings or other suitable devices there isan annulus or circular strap r.

The usual flexible pump-nipple t, Fig. 5, protrudes through rim b fromtire c, and to this the hollow piston 11 of an ordinary bicycle air-pumpP is secured. Secured to the rim 1) around this nipple there is a guard31,

tubular and of suflicient diameter to loosely admit piston 12 of thepump. On said piston is formed a flange 30 to check end thrust of thepump, the guard acting also as a guide, and thus prevent distortion ofthe rubber or elastic nipple and the consequent danger of leakage. Thebody of the pump is pivotally connected to a boss on the strap '1'. Thisconnection is made by a ball-and-socket joint, the socket w being formedby two members 15 ,ofa clamp hinged at 16 to said boss. A stiffpull-spring connects the clamp members. A rigid pin 26 projectslongitudinally from the pump-body and has a ball 27 on its outer endwhich seats in said socket. Apin 28 is fitted to slide through one clampmember and is engaged with the companion member, so that by pushing saidpin inward the members may be spread outward and the socket 111 openedto release the ball. Said pump being of commonest and generallyknownconstruction, it is not deemed essential to particularly describe thesame herein. Said pump arranged as described is radial of the axle h.

As the wheel A is rotated in use the pump P is carried with it andconjointly moves the ring-strap r on the cam 19. Said cam beingeccentric of and rigid on the stationary axle h, the pump-body is causedto continuously reciprocate on its piston 1:, attached tothe Vwheel-rim. Air is thereby constantly forced into the tire c at eachrevolution of the wheel in a manner which will be readily understood bythose conversant with such matters without a more explicit descriptionru h Of course as the wheel rotation is very rapid the tire is quicklyinflated to its capacity. To prevent exceeding this point and there'byexploding the tire, I equip the wheel with a relief or safety valve 5.

which taps tire a through rimb. ,In this nipclosing' the inlet ofthenipple. A cylindrical body screws into said nipple andcon tains thevalve, the outer end of said body being'c'losed by a screw-cap18,;having a vent 19.' Said body is also provided with'a series of'vents17. The stem 45 of the valve is elongated and nearly touches the cap 18when the valve is seated. Thisstem is-encircled by a specially-woundspring 21, which is compressed against the Valve by said screw-cap. Thisspring 1s of known resistance and is gaged by the amount of air-pressureto the inch it is desired to inflate the tire with. As soon assuchdegree of pressure is attained in-the tire the valvez will be-forcedfrom-its seat against the resistance of the spring 21. The air will thusbe permitted to enter the valve-body and escape by the vents 1 7 and .19until the pressure in the tire is reduced to the desired-degree. By thismeans it will be seen that a .normal pressure of a predetermined forcemay be constantly maintained in the tire,

. even in cases where an accidental puncture occurs. g

It will be understood that this device is applicable for use on wheelsof any description whereon an inflatable tire is employed.

1 As the pumpin use might run dry on its piston, the guard 31 and flangew are essen- It is also essential that the pump-body be pivotallyconnected to the cam-ring, asdescribed, to compensatein large measurefor lateral thrust caused by the movement of the cam should it run hardin the ring. Moreover, it is'fre- This valve (shown'in detail in Fig. 3)consists of a screw -nipple;

Having thus described my invention,what

Icl'aim is-- v a 1. The combination in'a bicycle-wheel of the frame andfixed axle: the sleeve detachably sccuredagainst rotation on said axle:

.. -the flanged hubs g loose on said axle: the ballple is formed aconical valve-seat which'is engaged by aloose conical valve a, normallybearings'between the ends of said hubs and "sleeve: the cam 19 integralwith said'sleeve: the ring r working in the periphery-of -said cam andin the vertical plane of' saidwheel: thespokes rim and tire: the pumphaving its body pivotally connected to said ring and its pistonconnected to the flexible nipple of said tire all being arranged tooperate, substantially asdescribed.

2. The wheel in combination with the cam and its ring: the pump-body:the hinged clamp members on saidring forming asocke't: and

a projection on said pump-body pivoting in said socket, substantially asand for the purpose specified. V

3. The Wheel provided with the pneumatic tire and flexible nipple incombination with the guard on thewheel-rimsurrounding said nipple: thepump provided with the flange on its piston for en gaging said guard anddevices for actuating said pumpby the rotation of said wheel,substantially asdescribed. I

4..- Ina device-of the character described the cam and ring incombinationwith the spring-held clamp members, 15, hinged to said ringand forming socket, w; the pin for spreading said members; the pump; anda projection on said pum'p adapted to be detachablyseated in saidsocket, substantially as described.

' In testimony whereof I have signed my name to'this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' WILLIAM HAYES.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM J. HAYES, JOHN H. HoPwooD.

